Hanger



Oct. 31, 1950 R D, msi-1ER 2,528,220

HANGER Filed Feb. 6, 1946 111 rentar By Qawaof@ Mya/wey 5mm Patented Oct. 31, 1,950

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANGER Richard D. Fisher, Norwood, Pa. VApplication February 6, 1946, Serial No. 645,782

This inventionrelates to novel and useful improvements and structural refinements in hangers,1and the principal object of the invention is to provide ajdevice of the character herein described which is particularly suitable for suspending laundry from a clothesline, in place of the convention-a1 peg.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a' `hanger which may be `attached to the laundry before the same is positioned on the line, thereby minimizingthe inconvenience and hardship sustained by the user due to'prolonged exposure to adverse weather conditions while securing the laundry by means of conventional pegs.

,Another object of the invention isv to provide a 'hanger Iwhich may be used to suspend both ends of the immediately adjacent articles of laundry, thereby reducing the number of hangers required.

An additional object of the invention is to provide ahanger which' is' provided with two suspending elements whereby double the amount of laundry maybe positioned on a clothes-line of a givenlength, as compared with the amount which could be previously suspendedrbyzconventional pegs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger whereby the adjacent sides of ay twosided garment may be suspended in a spaced and parallel relationship on the line, thereby facilitating the passage of air through the garment and appreciably reducing the amount of time required for drying the same.

lA'further object of the invention is to provide ahanger inwhich the laundry does not come into direct 4contact with the usually soiled or rusted surface of the line and which therefore, may be used eiectively with metallic clotheslines.

wA still further object of the invention is to provide a hanger Iwhich is free from sharp surfaces or edges such-as may cause runs in the material suspended thereby.V f

A separate object of the invention is to provide ar hanger which is of pleasing and ornamental appearance, and which, apart from its usefulness as above set forth, may also be used in the home and for suspending and connecting togethervarious articles of wearing apparel. When used for suspending tailored clothing and the like in storage cabinetsy or closets, the use of the hanger will permit the same to be racked more closely together, without the danger of creasing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hanger which is of simple construction and which will lend itself to economical manufacture. With the above more important objects in View,

1 claim. (ol. zer-84) 2 and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consista essentially of the arrangement and constructionv of parts as illustrated in vthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective View, illustrating one of the jaw plates used in the hanger;

Figure 4 is a front elevation showing a modified embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating a further modified embodiment thereof.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, and with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the invention consists of a U- shaped arm l, provided at the end of each of the sides 2 thereof with an angulated portion or extension 3. The extensions 3 are formed integrally with the arm l and extend in longitudinal alignment with each other and at right angles to said arm.

Formed integrally With each 0f the sides 2 and medially the length thereof vis a pair of projecting ears or trunnions positioned in the plane of the aforementioned portions 3.

A clamping member comprising a jaw plate 5 is receivable between the trunnions d and is pivotally connected thereto by means of a pin G.. Each of the plates 5 is provided with a suitable recess or notch l in its upper corner adjacent the arm for a purpose later to be more particularly described, the pin S passing through a pair of aligned apertures 8 which are formed in the walls of this recess. The ends of the pin t are secured in the trunnions 4l, as will be fully apparent from the accompanying drawings.

Each of the plates 5 is also provided with a finger piece 9 and the lower edge it of the plate is knurled as is best illustrated in the accompanying Figure 3.

The lower edges I are complementary to the upper surfaces Hof the extensions 3, and the' plates 5 are constantly urged `against said portions by means of springs l2. v

Each of the springs is substantially U-shaped, as shown, and the springs are seated in the notches 1. The pins 6 extend between the legs of the springs to retain the springs seated in the notches.

Before proceeding to detail the vconstruction of the remaining embodiments of the invention, the method of operation of the embodiment just described will now be presented.

When this embodiment of the invention is placed in operation, the arm I is positioned transversely on the clothesline indicated by the phantom line I3, whereupon, by pressing against the finger-pieces 9, the lower portions of the plates 5 will be forced outwardly as indicated by the arrows I4, against the resiliency of the springs I2.

The material to be suspended may now be inserted between the separated edges I and II of the plates and ofthe angulated portions respectively, whereupon, by releasing the finger-pieces 9, the plates will return to their original positions under the action of the springs I2 and thereby retain the material iirrnly in the hanger.

It will be apparent that in this manner, the hangers may be positioned on the laundry in the home, before the same is suspended from the clothesline. Furthermore, one end of one article of laundry may be suspended from one side of each hanger, while another end of the immediately adjacent article is suspended from the remaining side of the hanger. In this manner, the number of hangers required to suspend a given quantity of laundry is considerably reduced.

It will be also observed that twoarticles of laundry may be suspended in parallel relationship from the opposite sides of the hanger, whereby double the amount of laundry may be positioned on a line of given length, as compared to the amount suspended by conventional pegs. Finally, each side of a two-sided garment may be suspended from one side of the hanger, thereby facilitating a passage of air through such garment and appreciably reducing the amount of time required to dry the same.

Referring now to the further embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying Figure 4, the latter is substantially the same as one half of the embodiment already described. Only one of the jaw plates is provided as indicated by the reference numeral I5, the same being urged by the spring I6 against the angulated portion I'I of the arm I8. The latter is formed with a hook portion I9, whereby the hanger may be attached to a suitable support.

Referring now to the still further embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying Figure 5, the same is a refinement of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 and consists of a U-shaped arm 20, formed with an eye 2| in the closed end thereof, and provided on each of its sides 22 with an arcuate portion 23.

The jaw plates 24 are similar to the aforementioned plates 5, with the lower edges 25 thereof being complementary to the portions 23.

The arm is also formed with an extension 26 on each of the sides 22 thereof, these extensions being positioned adjacent to the eye 2| and disposed in the plane of the portions 23. Apart from enhancing the ornamental appearance of the hanger, the extension 26 may be used in conviunction with the finger-pieces 2l of the plates 24 when the jaw plates of the hanger are being opened.

The various components of each of the several embodiments of the invention, with exception of the springs, may be formed from a suitable material such as metal or plastic, which will blend readily with the modern design and styling of domestic appliances.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to'without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

A hanger comprising an arm; means carried by said arm at end for engaging a supporting structure; an extension carried by the remaining end of the arm and disposed at right angles to the arm; said arm yhaving an outer bearing surface; said extension also having a bearing surface communicating with the bearing surface of said arm; a clamping member comprising a at plate having a side bearing edge for engaging the bearing edge of said arm and an end bearing edge for engaging the bearing edge kof said extension; said clamping member including an upper corner adjacent the arm and said upper corner havinga notch therein; a pair of ears projecting laterally from said arm and receiving the upper corner of said clamping member therebetween; a U-shaped spring seated in said notch and having a pair of leg portions engaging said arm and said clamping member respectively to yieldingly urge the clamping member against said arm and said extension; and a pivot pin extending through said ears, the upper corner of said clamping member and said notch to pivotally secure said clamping member to said arm, and said pin also extending between the leg portions of said spring to retain the spring seated in said notch.

RICHARD D. FISHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,725 Bray June 3, 1884 452,226 Leutzinger May 12, 1891 551,736 Pitkin Dec. 17, 1895 756,723 Skoog Apr. 5, 1904 1,085,368 Treacy Jan. 27, 1914 1,263,632 Wait Apr. 23, 1918 1,268,606 Olsen et al June 4, 1918 1,397,199 Barneck Nov. 15, 1921 1,542,208 Berger June 16, 1925 1,638,979 Broking Aug. 16, 1927 1,720,109 Walk July 9, 1929 1,760,445 Shackelford May 27, 1930 2,098,420 Jackson Nov. 9, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,323 Great Britain of 1909 8,798 Great Britain of 1897 22,939 Great Britain of 1900 31,707 Denmark May 3, 1923 115,341 Germany Nov. 22, 1900 366,993 France Aug. 16, 1906 

